Moonbeam
by Dreamypastelle
Summary: "I'll learn how to give life, and you will learn how to take it away. I think that sounds nice, like we're partners." - Zeref/Mavis. Slightly AU, X364 onward.
1. Prologue

**Moonbeam**

**Prologue**

_A/N: Please take note that this is a fictional take on the history of Mavis and Zeref. It is __**not canon**__; however, Pergrande is a real country in the Fairy Tail universe._

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_July 7, X364 – Pergrande Kingdom, Earth Land_

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"Prince Peregrine! Prince Peregrine!"

The tall oak doors of the prince's study burst open as a man entered, breathing haggardly. The prince put down the thick book he was reading, perceptibly looking bored. His dark blond hair framed his pale, thin face, emphasising his sharp cheekbones and his prominent chin. His eyes were a deep, penetrating blue, and right now, they reflected a slight sneer towards the man who had rushed in.

"What can I do for you, my good man?" the prince asked in a flatly polite tone. He was quite used to their servants bustling in and around the palace, but there were a lot of times when he just felt sick of it all. He already had duties to fulfil, people to please, and his remaining studies left to finish, and he wasn't even king yet, although he almost was since he was already of age. So much had the heavy weight of expectations been laid upon him that he often resorted to a hidden rebelliousness which resulted in frequent nightly escapades, hunting for fantasies that he had read about in the books he kept.

A small smile crept upon his face when he remembered his favourite adventure. It had been months ago when the moon was as full as it could have been. He travelled beyond the borders of the Pergrande Kingdom, riding his white stallion, saying that he was on a mission to search for new forms and types of magic for the sake of those in his kingdom who wished to learn magic. He had been travelling unaccompanied for days, collecting fake proofs of his expedition from wherever he had gone to, until he reached the land of Fiore. He had wandered off into the dark forests, seemingly lost but still dauntless.

It was in those forests where he met Meira.

"Prince Peregrine, this is urgent!" the voice of the man who had entered his study disrupted his reminiscence. If ever Prince Peregrine Vermillion was affronted by this, he did not show it and he decided to focus on the man.

"I did speculate that it is urgent, what with your obvious anxiety, but you must be straight to the point. What may I do for you?" replied the prince, still keeping his politeness but adding an authoritative edge to it.

"I will not be able to explain it here properly, Sire. If you would, please follow me to the palace's front doors," the man answered meekly but urgently.

Prince Peregrine stood at once and left his study table, looking as regal as ever. The man exited his study room, and he followed swiftly, his royal robe swishing from side to side. He was not fond of the heavy coat, but he had to wear it during the day so that people would know who he was.

Upon reaching the front doors of the palace after a few minutes of walking past long, ornate halls and down the grand staircase, the man looked back at the prince, his expression worried. He opened one of the big doors with the help of two royal guards standing near them.

The man disappeared outside of the doors for a short moment and came back, holding a golden woven basket. He bowed before the prince and handed the basket to him. A mild feeling of curiosity bubbled up within the prince as he took the basket.

Shock coloured his features when he saw what was inside. A baby girl with short, wavy, light blonde hair was sleeping peacefully, covered by silk sheets and wearing a faintly pink velvet dress. Her tiny fists were balled up, but Prince Peregrine could see little petals trapped within the baby's fingers.

The oddest thing which left the prince speechless was seeing wing-like adornments on either side of her head, sticking out of her blonde hair. A rush of feelings spread within him as he remembered flashes of his 'adventure' those months ago.

"She's yours, Sire," the man told him, handing over a small piece of parchment. Prince Peregrine received it with trembling hands and read:

_Peregrine,_

_She's ours. She was born at dawn today. Where I am is unsafe at the moment, so please take care of her for the both of us._

_~M_

"Yes, she is," he muttered softly, dumbfounded. He swallowed and took a deep breath, folding Meira's short letter to him and placing it inside the basket. Thoughts concerning Meira's safety swam in his mind, and he slowly sat on the floor, ignoring the incredulous looks of the guards and the man near him. He brought the basket close to him and he reached out a long finger to touch the cheek of the baby.

Her skin was soft and it felt fragile to him. He continued caressing his child with a newfound love in his eyes, replacing the hard sneer etched into them, until a tinkling sound came from the baby.

She was laughing so pleasantly at his ticklish actions.

Prince Peregrine looked solemnly at her face as she giggled; it reminded him of Meira singing with the birds that night. It was lovely and hopeful, calming him instantly like a lullaby. '_What did she call those birds again?' _he thought to himself as he stopped tickling the baby with his finger. The baby ceased laughing and instead opened her eyes. Prince Peregrine sort of felt her looking at him and the answer came to him when he saw her hypnotising, ocean green eyes.

"Hullo, Mavis," he whispered to her. She was now named.

A smile appeared on both of their faces.

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_July 7, X364 – Mt. Zonia, Fiore Kingdom, Earth Land_

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"We must keep him safe from Acnologia until he is old enough to learn magic," said a woman to a man, who was most likely her husband. The said man frowned seriously, rubbing his chin.

"Acnologia will never forgive us for taking him away without telling him," he said after a while.

A tear escaped the woman's eye and she hung her head ashamedly. "I only want Zeref to be safe. Acnologia will have to understand that."

The man stood up and embraced his wife tightly. "Where will we take him then?" he breathed into her hair. She sniffed and hugged him back though not as tightly. She was still very tired from giving birth earlier.

"A different kingdom, probably a big one with lots of people to hide his scent," she answered him.

He released a sigh. "He will still be able to find him, but that will be good enough for a few years. Pergrande, perhaps?"

The woman nodded once and closed her eyes. In her arms, a baby boy with jet black hair was sleeping soundly.

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_A/N: I really think Mavis is half-fairy, which is why I made up a fictional fairy mum named Meira. Her 'father' is supposedly a prince. I was curious as to what the name Mavis meant, so when I Wikipedia'd it, I found out that it was an old name for a bird, a song thrush, which is why I decided to give her 'father' a bird name as well._

_I know it was a weird prologue, but I hope you stay tuned in till the next chapters to come. They'll be centred around Mavis and Zeref of course._


	2. Chapter One: Meadows

**Moonbeam**

**Chapter One: Meadows**

_A/N: Thank you for the alerts and reviews. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you._

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"_Papa, would you read me a story?"_

_Mavis approached her father who was busy signing some parchment and skimming over the contents of the important documents. The little girl didn't seem to be bothered by her father's lack of response; instead, she even pulled at his leg and fixed the cutest pout she could form on her face._

_Prince Peregrine (who was almost king) sighed in resignation as he put down whatever he had been reading and signing, and raised an eyebrow at his daughter, trying not lose against her but obviously failing at it. She looked peevishly at him and released her hold on his leg._

"_Please?" she asked in a small, cute voice._

_The prince took the slightly thick tome she was clutching with her tiny fist. Of all the children's storybooks he had gotten for her, he wondered why she always preferred to sneak inside his study and randomly grab a big book. She was not yet able to read fast, and the prince often had to make up a story by pretending to narrate whatever was in the book she had given him whilst she listened eagerly. This routine of theirs actually took up much more time compared to whenever he would just read her one of the simple storybooks, and the prince concluded that this was Mavis's intention all along._

"_I like the gold on the sides of the pages," said Mavis, climbing up her father's legs in order to settle on his lap. Prince Peregrine recognised the book at once. It was his favourite reference for his past escapades: _"Fairy Tales".

"_It looks pretty! And see! There's a picture of a fairy here that looks like me!" exclaimed Mavis, unaware of her father's blank look. She continued gushing over the book as she flipped the pages and searched for the picture she had seen earlier. Once she had found it, she pointed it out to her father and began asking questions._

"_Is my Mama a fairy? Is that why I don't grow as big as the other children do? Is that why I have these wings sticking out of my head?" she continued, peering up at her father. Prince Peregrine breathed slowly and simply smiled at her, though it didn't reach his eyes._

"_Ne, Papa... do fairies have tails, too?"_

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_The month of May, X371 – Pergrande Kingdom, Earth Land_

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Sunshine flitted in between the gaps of the leaves of the multitude of fruit trees. The air was crisp and fresh, a dewy scent brought by the early sunshower. A bird or two could be heard chirping within the distance, and the grassy landscape gave off a peaceful aura. All in all, it didn't seem like the place would brew discord.

Zeref weaved in and out of the trees, glancing behind him every now and then to check if someone was watching or following him. He was definitely not in the mood to listen to his parents talk to him about magic; he just didn't feel like learning more things right now.

He sensed that the area was clear and that no one had figured out that he was there. He slid down to the ground, leaning against a trunk, shaded by the leaves. His eyes closed after a few seconds. Maybe he could just snooze off for a little bit of time before going back home and apologising to his parents for disappearing. It was not like they weren't used to it by now anyways, although they still scolded him fervently, especially his mother. She always warned him not to stray off alone because he was far too young to be on his own even for just a short amount of time. But Zeref wasn't a boy of company; he enjoyed solitude more than the average person did despite the fact that he was a very young boy who should be engaging in playing or running around with friends.

Zeref didn't really have many friends to begin with. He was soft-spoken unlike the other boys who were loud, playful, and mischievous. Even the girls were talkative and bubbly.

He tugged at his black frock and the loosened the thick, white cloth (or _sash_, as his mother preferred to call it) which was tied around his body, hanging off his right shoulder. He didn't want to get choked by it in case he fell asleep.

A few minutes after, Zeref was already on the verge of going into slumber when his head lolled backwards and it slightly grazed the rough trunk. A small, sleepy frown appeared on his face, his eyebrows slightly creased, as he caught a glimpse of the leaves above him.

Big, shiny, red apples hung on the branches. A look of wonder replaced his frown, though his eyes were still droopy. He thought he imagined drool escaping his mouth since the apples just looked so delicious. He could imagine the dribble of juice running down his chin as he would bite it enthusiastically.

Without further ado, he scrambled up and tried to think of a way to climb the tree with his short legs. He had never really tried climbing trees, but he thought his legs were powerful enough after years of escaping his parents' clutches.

He grasped the bumps of the trunk and grabbed the branches, his sandals slipping down, but he didn't give up. With the determination of a six year old boy, he pulled himself upward and finally plucked the nearest apple before completely sliding back down to the ground.

A wide smile stretched across his face as he revelled in his success. He took a big bite and indeed, a bit of the juice sprinkled his chin.

"Hey! What are you doing?" a girlish squeal stopped him from taking a second bite. In his momentary shock, he released the apple and it plopped down to the grass.

Zeref spun around and came face to face with a girl who was probably younger than he was since she was terribly short and petite.

She looked bright and pretty, with her long, wavy, light blonde hair which almost reached her feet, and her dark green eyes which reminded him of both the forest and the ocean. She was wearing a frilly robe and she was _barefoot_; however, his eyes were immediately drawn to the wing-like things on either side of her head.

_What on Earth Land was she?_

"Did you just steal an apple from my Papa's meadow?" she accused him. Her cute, little voice actually sounded threatening.

Zeref raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I didn't know someone owned this place," he answered apologetically, his head cast down.

He glimpsed the little girl approaching him, and he screwed his eyes shut, anticipating a hit or something, but he never would have guessed that she would pick up the apple from the grass, take one of his hands, and return the apple to him.

Zeref slowly opened an eye, then the other, and he peered helplessly at the apple in his hand and at the little girl who was now settled beside him, sitting down and leaning against the trunk as he did so earlier. She probably sensed that he was still surprised by her actions and looked at him with a pout on her face.

"If you were hungry, you could have just asked," she told him.

Zeref breathed and sat down, rubbing the apple with his thumb. He refused to meet the girl's eyes, thinking that he might get lost or drown in them. "I didn't know you were here..." he mumbled.

At that moment, a giggle escaped her lips which caught Zeref's attention. He looked incredulously at her, not exactly knowing what she found so amusing.

"I try to be here a lot," she explained, yet her statement only confused Zeref more. He stayed silent, wondering who she really was if her father owned such vast lands. The meadows seemed very well taken care of and had bountiful fruit-bearing trees, and that was another factor for him to consider. Zeref continued guessing who she might be until she started speaking again.

"It's like I really belong here, because I feel it. Don't you feel it, too?" she told him.

"Feel what?" inquired Zeref, fiddling with the apple, apparently not interested in eating it anymore.

"The light."

Zeref glanced at the girl. Her eyes were closed and there was a little smile on her lips. "I guess," he muttered in reply.

The girl opened her eyes and gave him a steady look. He stared back, not really understanding the exchange happening between them nor did he truly understand what she meant by 'feeling the light', but it didn't make him feel unwell or unsafe though it did make him a little nervous.

"I'm Zeref," he said after a while, breaking their eye contact. He shuffled his feet embarrassedly. He swore he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. He tried doing something else other than just sitting there, so he bit the apple again, already forgetting that it had fallen to the ground.

"I'm Mavis," she told him. Zeref continued chewing thoughtfully. He reached out the apple to her.

"Wanna bite?" he asked. Mavis grinned and her eyes twinkled. Zeref took that as a yes; however, though he expected her to take it from his hand and bite it on her own, she surprised him once again by simply biting and sucking on the apple while he was holding it.

Zeref froze. He blushed again, thinking that he looked silly feeding her.

Mavis probably sensed his discomfort since she withdrew her mouth from the apple. Zeref gave a fleeting look at the object in his hand, and then he glanced at Mavis. He saw a challenging look in her face, and it prompted him to look at the apple once more.

After a split second of impulsiveness, he bit the apple.

Mavis smiled at him. And this action of hers urged him to continue eating and sharing it with her. They ate it together but not at the same time; they took turns biting it. Eventually, all that was left of the apple was its core.

"Why did you _really_ come here?" asked Mavis out of the blue. Zeref looked sheepish as he suddenly remembered his parents.

"I wanted to escape from my parents for a while," he answered guiltily.

"Why?" inquired Mavis.

"Because I wanted to take a break from what they're teaching me."

"What do they teach you?" continued Mavis. Zeref huffed a little. Her questions made him feel squeamish.

"Magic," he answered shortly.

At this, the wing-like adornments on Mavis's head fluttered, and she glowed for a moment, as if she were really pleased.

"What kind of magic?" she gushed.

Zeref felt uncomfortable. He was protective of the truth concerning the magic his parents had because it was ancient and rare, but when Mavis blinked at him innocently, he found his mistrust dissolving entirely.

"Dragon Slaying magic. My parents are Dragon Slayers, and they show me their magic, but as for me, I still haven't shown a sign of what kind of magic I could do," he told her.

Mavis didn't seem too doubtful or impressed by his proclamation. This actually made Zeref feel relieved because she was taking him seriously.

"Do _you_ have magic?" asked Zeref. Mavis smiled and stood up. She walked away from him and Zeref wondered what she was going to do now. He watched her saunter over to the grassier areas where plenty of different flowers grew. She plucked off a little stem with a bud and went back to him.

She kneeled in front of Zeref excitedly, cupping the bud. Zeref looked at it and waited patiently for something to happen. Mavis grinned and crushed her hands together.

Zeref's eyes widened as he opened his mouth to accuse her of destroying the poor, defenceless bud, but she silenced him with a clearly hurt look. He released a breath he did not know he was holding and watched as her hands glowed and a distinct popping sound was heard.

Mavis opened her hands to reveal a dainty white flower three times larger than the bud had been. Zeref gasped in astonishment— she had made the flower blossom with just her hands!

"I call it 'Fairy Bloom'. It's one of the two kinds of magic I could do so far, and only my Papa knows," she said. She blew the flower away as if it was powder and it floated off into the sky and landed near Zeref's ankle.

"What about your Mama? Doesn't she know about it?" asked Zeref, still amazed.

"I've never seen her," replied Mavis, blinking thoughtfully. Zeref swallowed.

"Oh," was all he could say.

Mavis, on the other hand, didn't really seem bothered. "But I know she watches me. Sometimes, I just see a bunch of petals wherever I go and I know that my magic comes from her," she said cheerfully.

Zeref tugged on his white sash, trying to be as unaffected as she was. He let go of his sash and took the white flower instead. Its petals were so soft and fragile that he felt like he could easily destroy it.

"She's a fairy, you see," continued Mavis, smiling pleasantly.

Zeref was shocked by her sudden statement and he felt a weird energy leave him through his hands. For a short moment, his mind was blank and he only heard Mavis's startled cry.

"Zeref! You did magic! I saw it! I felt it, too!"

With a look of horror on his face, Zeref stared at the dead flower in his hands. It was wilted and it had lost all its delicate beauty. His hands started shaking as he thought of what Mavis exclaimed. Did he really kill the flower at the moment that he did his magic? Did that mean his magic was about taking something's life? What if it had been Mavis that he touched at that time?

He felt so awful about his thoughts that some tears started to form and spill from his eyes. He sniffed ashamedly and felt loneliness creeping up on him.

Then, he was surprised when he felt soft, warm hands wiping his tears away. He remembered that Mavis was there, and he tried to inch away from her, afraid of doing something worse, but Mavis looked kindly at him and it stunned him.

"Zeref, you should be happy now that you know what your magic is! At least you could learn more on how you could control it, right?" she comforted him, scooting closer to him. Zeref hung his head in shame but felt reassured. _Mavis wasn't afraid or angry with him_.

"You're not sad I killed your flower?" he sniffed. Mavis took the wilted flower from him and placed it on the grass. She shook her head at his question and smiled.

"I'll learn how to give life, and you will learn how to take it away. I think that sounds nice, like we're partners."

"Partners?"

"We'll learn magic together! And when we grow older, we'll become guild mages!"

Mavis was so enthusiastic that Zeref found himself smiling, too. He scrubbed his last tears away and breathed deeply. He knew his parents were part of a guild, that was how they earned their money, and he thought how it would be great if he could go with Mavis or his parents on missions in the future. In his momentary silence, Mavis shoved her fist in front of his face. Zeref looked bewilderedly at her, wondering what he did wrong this time, when she showed her pinkie finger to him.

"Show your pinkie finger also," she commanded him. Zeref did as she told and lifted his little finger. She hooked it with hers and Zeref subconsciously did the same.

"This means we're now friends. Do you promise to be my good friend, Zeref?" she said.

Zeref nodded sombrely. Mavis giggled at his seriousness, and he realised how silly he must have looked and laughed with her. She released his pinkie at that moment, but for Zeref, he felt like something was still binding him to her, like a string of light.

He knew it was his promise to her, and now, he finally had a friend.

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_A/N: Your feedback would be highly appreciated. Or any possible scenes/ideas you might want to give. Thank you for your time._


	3. Chapter Two: Castles

**Moonbeam**

**Chapter Two: Castles**

_A/N: I'm sorry that it's been a while since I updated. Summer ended last June and I began my first year as a university student. Putting that aside, thank you so much for all of your alerts and reviews. I've stored some of your suggestions and ideas in a Notepad file just in case; therefore, if you're going to leave a review as a guest, please include a name at least, so that I could properly credit/thank you._

_Thanks to **Lunar Hikari** for giving me the Mavis-gives-Zeref-a-nickname idea. Here's a star-shaped biscuit brought to you by the unicorns from outer space! (:_

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_The month of June, X371 – Pergrande Kingdom, Earth Land_

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Zeref stood in awe, his eyes glued to the two tall oak doors in front of him. He couldn't even bring himself to touch them as he stood there, carefully taking note of all the carved patterns and designs. He strangely felt as if the doors alone already showed how powerful and wealthy the royal family was. For a split second, he wanted to turn back, forget about going there and simply be content with his own uncomplicated life, but the moment he planned to take a step back, the memory of Mavis intertwining her pinkie finger with his played in his mind.

He sighed. She promised him that he had nothing to be afraid of because they were friends, and according to her, friends didn't let each other get into trouble, unless they both wanted to get in trouble anyways.

Zeref shook his head, trying not to become overwhelmed by his feelings, and knocked politely on the door, unsure of whether or not someone would even hear it. To his relief (and slight horror), someone did hear his feeble knocking, as Zeref heard soft footsteps coming closer. In a short moment, the doors swung open, and he was greeted with the figure of a man just as short as he was.

"Zeref-san, please come in," the man told him. He had a bushy grey beard and a bald head, and Zeref immediately stepped beyond the threshold at the man's request because he didn't want to seem impolite.

"Thank you for letting me in," said Zeref cordially, watching the man as he closed the doors quite easily despite his tiny stature and old age. The man turned to him after he shut the doors and gave him a warm smile.

"I am simply happy to serve Mavis-sama's important friend," said the man. Zeref felt embarrassed but oddly pleased that the man would refer to him as Mavis's 'important friend', and he wondered if Mavis was the one who first gave the man that idea.

"Excuse me for asking, but what is your name?" asked Zeref as politely as he could.

"I am Hoku," answered the man. Zeref nodded to show that he heard his answer, and he followed Hoku through the different halls.

There was a grand staircase in the centre of the castle, each step around twenty metres long. It was covered by a large, blood red carpet, and the balustrades at either side looked as if they were made out of pure gold. The railings themselves were made out of thick glass and they were shaped so elegantly that Zeref doubted their durability. After observing them for a short moment, Zeref realised that magic was obviously used on the staircase for it to become more durable than he could ever imagine, and when Hoku started to ascend the steps, Zeref quickly followed, not giving the safety of the stairs a second thought.

Zeref was certainly brimming with curiosity about how the people lived in the castle. He wondered how many servants the royal family had, considering that only Mavis and her father, Prince Peregrine, were frequently seen as the ones who lived in that particular castle.

"Hoku-san, I don't mean to sound nosy, but how many people live here?" asked Zeref, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

"Only Peregrine-sama and Mavis-sama actually live here all the time, but eight maids, Mavis-sama's governess, three chefs, two gardeners, four horsemen, one scribe, two messengers, two mages, ten guards, and of course, I myself work in the castle though we have our own homes to which we retire if we have the time," replied Hoku promptly.

Zeref was quite astonished with the readiness of Hoku's answer; nevertheless, he nodded in understanding. "I always thought that more people would live here, though I think all the workers do their jobs well enough without more companions," he commented thoughtfully for a six year old boy.

Hoku was the one who nodded this time, comprehending what Zeref meant. "The castle isn't in fact too large to require a great number of servants. The most tedious work is actually keeping it clean and tidy at all moments whether or not there are important happenings, plus the two mages usually help the maids whenever they have spare time."

At this, they reached the top of the staircase and continued walking towards the hallway to the left side. Zeref was impressed by the regal lounge on the second level. He could only imagine various kings and queens from the other countries coming to visit and have a chat with the Pergrande monarchs.

"Mavis-sama asked me to lead you to the castle's library," said Hoku, interrupting Zeref's imaginations of kings and queens drinking tea and eating biscuits.

"Ah, am I g-going to m-m-meet Prince Peregrine?" stuttered Zeref, suddenly nervous.

Hoku chortled and shook his head. "That is up for Mavis-sama to decide, but if I remember correctly, Peregrine-sama is currently busy with his documents in his study while you are going to the castle library where Mavis-sama is waiting for you," replied Hoku with a cryptically amused tone.

"So, that means I won't be able to meet him yet," sighed Zeref in relief.

"The library and the prince's study are beside each other," added Hoku, chuckling at Zeref's abrupt change of reaction from relief to unease.

"What are found at the right side, then, if the prince's study and the library are here at the left side?" asked Zeref, trying to start a different conversation topic. He did not want to think of the scenario if ever he would really end up meeting Prince Peregrine— entering the castle was already challenging for him.

"The king and queen's vacation quarters, the prince's room, Mavis-sama's room, and a guest room," responded Hoku in a not-so-teasing manner anymore. Zeref was glad that the past topic was immediately dropped. He considered Hoku's answer with a backward glance towards the right side, trying to picture what their bedrooms looked like until a thought came to him.

"They placed the guest room in the same hall where their rooms are?" questioned Zeref in a small, surprised voice.

"The kings and queens of the past believe that it fosters a sense of equality and courtesy to the guests."

"Oh."

With that, they approached a pair of tall oak doors similar to the ones that Zeref had seen earlier. Once again, he felt quite reluctant to enter, but Hoku had already knocked boldly, and Zeref knew that he had to get used to being in the presence of royalty since his only friend was the daughter of a prince.

Still standing outside of the library, Zeref heard Mavis's excited squeal as the sound of a book being dropped echoed from within the room. A few seconds later, something tackled him in a warm hug. It was only after when Zeref cleared his mind of his nervousness did he realise that the thing which tackled him was obviously Mavis. The smell of honey and lavender was already permanently ingrained in his mind and nose.

He tentatively held her, his eyes automatically closing as he breathed in her scent, but the warmth was short-lived. From behind him, Hoku cleared his throat and Zeref immediately released Mavis.

"I'll be taking my leave now, Mavis-sama, Zeref-san. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything," said Hoku, taking a bow.

"Thank you, Hoku-san," said Zeref rather awkwardly, a faint pink tint on his cheeks.

"We'll probably finish all the milk and melon slices," pouted Mavis. Zeref sighed upon hearing her; he knew that Mavis would do most of the eating and drinking because she wanted to grow taller, but Zeref believed that her "fairy blood" was too strong and that she would probably remain short as far as her childhood was concerned.

"I'll have the maids slice more melons and prepare another pitcher of milk, then?" inquired Hoku with a smile. Mavis happily nodded and took Zeref by the arm. They went inside and Zeref softly closed the two doors and saw Hoku swiftly turn away and walk back down the hall.

"Welcome to the library!" said Mavis, spreading her arms out widely and smiling pleasantly.

Zeref grinned at her enthusiasm and took a good look around the room. It had four corners, and each wall (except the one with the doors) held a huge shelf of various books. There was a big glass window opposite the doors and its violet curtains were drawn back, letting the noontime sunshine brighten the room. In the centre, a long, ceramic table was surrounded by matching chairs and two sofas which had cushions the same colour as the curtains. Zeref thought that the place looked elegant but homey which was probably why Mavis decided to stay there.

Mavis walked over to the sofa at the left side and picked up a book which was on the floor. Zeref followed her and sat down, waiting for her to say something.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't invite you over earlier. I was having more fun playing with you at the meadows," Mavis told him, taking a seat beside him. Zeref apologetically smiled and shook his head.

"It's fine. I'm actually nervous being here," he admitted.

"Eh? Why?" asked Mavis, confused.

"Because it feels like I'm being watched."

At his answer, Mavis laughed loudly. Zeref frowned at her, thinking that she wasn't taking him seriously. Mavis noticed his attitude and ceased laughing, but the shadow of a grin was still on her face.

"You don't have to act all serious. You're nice and so are the people here," she told him. Zeref felt relieved that she was trying to comfort him, and that she even called him nice.

He tried to recall all the other days they played together at the meadows, wondering when he had been "nice" to her. Every time they would meet, they had greeted each other. Zeref would simply talk about his days in class since Mavis was so eager to listen to his stories of his noisy and playful classmates. Mavis, in return, told him about how she lived as a princess, being taught by private tutors and mages and travelling to the other castle by the sea in order to visit her grandparents, the king and queen. Sometimes, they climbed trees and picked fruits. On other days, Zeref would watch Mavis try to do more forms of her magic besides Fairy Bloom and Fairy Dust (which was a spell to make a person fall asleep, and he was the unlucky victim) but she couldn't, and though he also wanted to try doing magic, he didn't want to risk anything.

Now that summer had begun, Mavis thought it would be fun if she invited Zeref over to the castle. He was mortified by the idea at first, but she convinced him that he had nothing to worry about, and he had no polite reason to decline her offer.

"What are you thinking of?" asked Mavis out of the blue.

"I was wondering why you called me nice," answered Zeref with a smile.

"Because you _are_, silly," said Mavis, chuckling.

"Oh, now you're calling me silly?" retorted Zeref, pretending to be angry and failing at it.

"Yes, I am," answered Mavis smugly.

"Well, you're sillier."

Mavis grinned. "And I'm nicer, too."

"No, you aren't."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you aren't."

"Yes, I am."

"Nope."

"Yep."

"Okay, fine you are," blurted Zeref, raising his hands in surrender. They always had those better-than-you jokes and Mavis always won.

"We're both nice and silly, which is another reason why we're partners!" concluded Mavis enthusiastically. Zeref smiled to himself— Mavis always ended up saying that they were equal anyways.

A comfortable silence stretched out between the two of them as Mavis stood up and went over to the table. A silver tray containing a plate of juicy melon slices and a pitcher of milk was on top. Zeref watched Mavis pour milk into a glass and drink the entire glass. She then proceeded to eat a slice of melon.

"Come here, Elf-kun. Eat some melon slices with me," pouted Mavis, beckoning him over. Zeref rolled his eyes at the nickname she had come up for him; nevertheless, he stood up and went over to her, and they began eating together.

"I still haven't thought of a reason why you call me Elf," said Zeref thoughtfully while they ate. Mavis's eyes twinkled as she paused eating. She turned her back to him and went to the sofa where they sat on a while ago. She grabbed the book she had been reading earlier and presented it to him.

"Here! Turn to page fifteen," instructed Mavis. Zeref, already used to her weird way of addressing his inquiries, followed her and flipped the pages. The book was titled _Fairy Tales_ which Zeref remembered as Mavis's favourite book; she mentioned it a few times to him before.

When Zeref reached page fifteen, he gasped. A picture of a girl was there, and she looked remarkably like Mavis. He looked at the heading and read _The Fairy and The Elf_. He began to read at once.

Mavis read it with him, and they took turns in saying the narration. Mavis took the dialogue of the fairy, and Zeref took the elf's part. It was fun reading the story aloud together, and after a few minutes, they were finished.

"So, you see, there was a lonely elf boy who was lost in a forest. A fairy girl found him and they started talking to each other. The fairy girl wanted to help him and she guided him through the forest even though it was pretty dangerous. When the elf boy got back home, he thanked the fairy girl and they became friends," summarised Mavis. Zeref nodded, but something still confused him.

"It doesn't say though whether they still met up with each other after that," he voiced out.

"They became friends. I'm sure they did," said Mavis with much conviction. Zeref smiled.

"I guess you're right. So does that mean I'm the elf boy and you're the fairy girl?" he asked.

"No, you're Zeref and I'm Mavis. But if you call me Fairy-chan and I call you Elf-kun, it would be like our secret codenames whenever we go on missions," she answered.

"I don't think we would need secret codenames," contradicted Zeref, trying not to smile again.

"But it would be more fun that way!" convinced Mavis. Zeref laughed and nodded.

"Fine, Fairy-chan."

They finished the melon slices and drank some milk before Zeref stood up and went over to one of the shelves. Zeref really wanted to read books about dragons and he wanted to find out more about his magic. He told his parents about it, and they weren't surprised but they were worried. They told him that he now had to be taught and trained privately, so that if he wasn't able to control his magic, he wouldn't hurt any of his classmates.

At first, Zeref was shocked by what they had said, but he knew they were right. When summer started to come around the corner, he said goodbye to his class and his teachers, and immediately told Mavis about his parents' decision when they met up. It was at that time when Mavis thought it would be a good idea to invite him over to the castle.

Zeref glanced over at Mavis, who was still sitting at the table, rereading Fairy Tales. A thought formed in his mind and he voiced it over to Mavis.

"Hey, maybe the person who drew that fairy met your mother or your grandmother, or someone else from your fairy family."

Mavis looked up from the book and smiled at him. "I think so, too."

She closed the book and went to him, and together, they began searching for other books. Whenever they found something interesting, they would try to read it aloud to each other, using goofy voices and funny facial expressions. A lot of words were still unfamiliar to them, and they spent lots of minutes just trying to debate and decipher what they meant and how they would pronounce each one.

They spent hours poring over various tomes and scrolls, and even a couple of storybooks. In between those hours, Hoku would come in to serve them more fruits and milk or water, sometimes helping them with the unfamiliar words.

By the end of the afternoon, Zeref's eyes started to get tired from all the reading, and he gave a quick look at Mavis. She was lying down on the floor beside him, absentmindedly flipping through pages of thick book. Zeref decided that he had learned enough for the day about dragons and magic; there were more days to come.

A yawn came from Mavis and Zeref smiled fondly at her.

"Hey, I think you should take a nap now," he suggested. She nodded, stood up, placed the book back in its shelf, and dragged herself to the sofa. Zeref followed her and they sat beside each other.

"I won't be able to fall asleep easily, though," mumbled Mavis, leaning against him.

"Why?" inquired Zeref.

"Sometimes, I wait for my mother to come and kiss me goodnight," replied Mavis, snuggling closer to him. Zeref felt a blush forming on his face but he ignored it.

"Does she ever come?" he asked softly and looked at her. A lock of her hair kept falling into her face and he tucked it behind her ear.

"Maybe... There are rare days when I wake up and there are flower petals by my pillow," whispered Mavis.

Zeref glanced around the room, watching the sun through the glass window. It was about to set, and he needed to go home since his parents had told him that he had to return before night came. He was still looking through the window when he noticed a painting covered in a white sheet, standing near the curtain. He went over to it and removed the sheet.

It was a painting of Mavis. She was sitting down, wearing a ruffled, red and gold lace dress, looking every bit as a fairy-like princess. A thin, gold tiara was on her head and she was smiling. Zeref felt amazed by the detail and likeness of the painting, and he believed that it really captured Mavis's beauty. He looked down and saw the words, "_July 7, X371... Happy birthday, Princess Mavis!_"

Zeref read them, shocked at the revelation that he and Mavis shared the same birthday. He spun around to ask Mavis about it but she was already behind him.

"Your birthday is on the seventh of July?" asked Zeref, astounded.

"Yep! This painting will be displayed in the ballroom when I celebrate my birthday... which reminds me, you're invited, of course! You'll be my special guest!" said Mavis, smiling widely.

"But I don't think I should go..." replied Zeref embarrassedly.

"Why?" pouted Mavis.

"It's my birthday, too, and I don't know if my parents will let me come," he admitted.

"Oh, then, you should invite them, too! I'll tell my father that we should celebrate together since he knows we're friends," she squealed. Zeref, on the other hand, felt nervous at the idea.

"But... won't you have important guests come over? I think it would be rude of me if I ruined your occasion," he mumbled helplessly.

Mavis giggled. "No, I already asked my father not to invite anyone 'important' except for my grandparents, of course. It's going to be an open party to all and _only_ the Pergrande citizens!"

Zeref didn't say anything. He wanted to celebrate his birthday with her, of course, but she was a princess, and he was just the son of two Dragon Slayers. He stood there in silence, letting his feelings wash over him.

Mavis held his wrist. "Zeref, please... I want us to celebrate together. It will be fun, I promise. You don't have to worry about what my father will say or what anyone else will say. It'll be _our_ day— we could even perform magic and no one would think of anything bad, okay?" she slipped her hand in his, and Zeref gulped.

"If we perform magic, I don't know what I would do. I don't want to kill anything," he said.

"We have around a month to practise and find out more about our magic! And if we can't really find anything else, just say you'll celebrate with me," pleaded Mavis.

Zeref sighed. He really didn't want to have Mavis beg him. "Okay, we'll celebrate together," he finally told her. She squealed in happiness and hugged him.

He returned her embrace fully, feeling happy as well. He was glad that Mavis really valued their friendship, because he valued it just as much as she did. He ruffled her hair as they let go of each other. Zeref glanced at the window to see if it was evening yet, the remnants of a smile etched on his face.

All which was left of the sun was a half circle, and Zeref and Mavis stood beside each other, watching it slowly sink into the horizon, beams of light casting a shadow on their small figures.

* * *

_A/N: I know it's not much but I hope it was worth the wait. I can't stretch my imagination any further without making the story completely AU, plus Mashima-sensei might have a different plan for Mavis and Zeref in the future. Just a heads-up: this fic will only have five chapters, excluding the prologue, so expect that the climax may or may not be in the next chapter. I'm also looking for Mavis/Zeref fan-art so if you're in the mood to make Mavis/Zeref fan-art, please drop me a PM— I'd appreciate the inspiration it will give me! Once again, thank you for all of your support and see you next chapter in a few months or less, I hope! (:_


	4. Chapter Three: Towns

**Moonbeam**

**Chapter Three: Towns**

_A/N: I am truly sorry for updating later than three months! I fought a tough battle with this chapter; I had to re-plan and beat it down to half the content it should have, which is why the promised 'climax' may not be here after all. _

_**Warning:** There are a lot of switching scenes, for which I apologise profusely. And despite its length, it may not have enough fluffy interactions between Zeref and Mavis. I hope you forgive me for the small number of filler characters I had to insert in between dialogue and etc._

_**For future reference:** Mashima stated that one US dollar is equal to a hundred jewels. Also take note of the time frame of this story—this is four hundred years before inflation overcame Earth Land, so even if jewels have a lesser value than dollars, their worth is still pretty big.  
_

* * *

_July 6, X371 – Pergrande Kingdom, Earth Land_

.

.

.

"Seven hundred and fifty jewels."

A depressed-looking boy sat on a wooden bench by the market, his right fist balled up tightly on his lap. His eyes looked dark and misty, as if he were thinking deeply of something unfortunate. He was a complete contrast to the people in the market who were moving around with such enthusiasm and life.

It was the sixth of July, a day before the princess's birthday celebration, and the people were busy decorating their homes and the streets for the event. Wooden ladders were placed at almost every lamppost for they had been used by the men so that the people would be able to tie a very long rope with triangularly-shaped banners of different colours above their heads. The people had been decorating every possible nook and cranny since morning, and by noontime, half of the streets were decorated with the multicoloured banners.

"We'll take a break and add the rest of the decorations later," ordered one man to his lackeys as they had begun collecting the excess rope and leftover pieces of coloured paper on the ground.

The young boy sighed and looked forlornly at the pebbles on the ground.

_~ (Flashback) ~_

The next day after Zeref had visited Mavis at the castle, Mavis immediately told her father, Prince Peregrine, of her desire to celebrate her birthday with Zeref, her best friend. Prince Peregrine felt protective of his daughter while he had listened to her gush about all the things she and her friend had been doing—they had been playing in his meadows and learning as much as they could about magic— and he couldn't help but ask her more about him.

"You've been learning magic with him?" asked Prince Peregrine incredulously.

Mavis took a moment to think about what she had just said and blinked thoughtfully. "Well," she began slowly, "I show him my magic but he doesn't really want to show his because it's dangerous—"

"What do you mean by that? Is he trying to hurt you?" interrupted Prince Peregrine with a sharp tone and foreboding eyes.

"No, no, no, Papa! Didn't I just say he doesn't _want_ to show his magic?" defended Mavis, her tiny hands on her hips and looking quite ruffled by her father's concern.

"But what is his magic and why is it dangerous?" pressed her father, reaching out to touch her arm.

Mavis dropped her arms from her hips and pouted. "He...kills things," she said simply.

Prince Peregrine felt alarmed by what his daughter had just shared. He knew that she had been spending time with a new friend for about a month or so, but he didn't exactly have details about the fellow. All he knew was that he was a boy around her age and that he visited the castle yesterday to play with Mavis.

"Mavis,—" Prince Peregrine began before Mavis cut him off by frantically shaking her head.

"Wait, Papa. Let me explain. Zeref is a good friend. I was the first one who wanted to talk about magic. I showed him Fairy Bloom with a bud, and he didn't know what his magic was until after I made the bud bloom. I think he was shocked when I told him that Mama is a fairy, and the flower suddenly wilted in his hands, and after that, all we did was talk and play in the meadows, and read books," Mavis explained to his father, even though it didn't sound as if it made much sense.

"Has he killed anything else after that?" asked her father who had sat down on a plump armchair, feeling a bit glum at the mention of Mavis's mother. He took Mavis in his arms and placed her on his lap.

"A bunch of bees," mumbled Mavis, burying her nose into her father's broad chest.

"Why?" he questioned her further. She squirmed in his arms.

"The bees were angry because I had accidently broken the branch where their hive was hanging onto when I was climbing a tree to pick a fruit. I jumped down and started running away from them when Zeref placed himself between me and the bees, and he stuck his arm out all of a sudden, and the bees just dropped dead. He was really shocked because he didn't how what had happened and he said he only wanted to protect me. After that, he never wanted to talk about it," replied Mavis.

Prince Peregrine scratched his chin in thought. The boy was as dangerous as he was mysterious. It would be a possibility that, whether or not it would be his intention, Mavis would be the next victim of his uncontrolled magic power. Prince Peregrine wanted to keep his daughter safe, but he didn't know how to take her away from the boy.

"Papa, you shouldn't take me away from him," sniffed a sad Mavis. Prince Peregrine looked at his daughter with shock evident in his face. He must have voiced his thoughts out loud.

"But I want to keep you safe," he said as he ran his fingers through her wavy light blonde locks.

"Then you can send a really strong mage to watch over us when we are together. I could also ask the mage to help us think of a magic performance on my birthday..."

"Why would you want to perform your magic on your birthday?" he questioned her with a bit of alertness in his voice.

"Well, because, it's his birthday, too, and I wanted to do something special with him for the people," pouted the princess, snuggling closer to her father.

"Is that why you don't want to invite other princes and princesses from other kingdoms—because it's also his birthday?" inquired Prince Peregrine with a frown.

"It's because the other princes and princesses are snooty and they don't want dirt on their shoes. I don't even _wear_ shoes."

Prince Peregrine exhaled sharply before bursting into a laugh. "Fine, I can't win against your desire to celebrate your birthday with him and the citizens, _but I don't want you to perform magic_. You're too young to sustain a magic attack for a long period of time and his power is just too dangerous to even manipulate in front of a crowd," said her father seriously.

"But, Papa—" whined Mavis.

"No buts, Mavis," her father cut her off with a tone that required his daughter's obedience. Mavis bit her lip, feeling slightly dejected, but she loved her father and she did not want to make him angry. She nodded slowly to show him that she understood what he meant by his order and that she would not disobey him.

A smile then broke out on the prince's face. "So, what decorations and food do you want on your birthday?"

* * *

"Zeref, my lad!" greeted a cheery and manly voice.

The boy looked up and saw the hulking figure of Bron, one of the country's finest blacksmiths and a close friend of his parents, who was smiling down at him. Zeref smiled back immediately, trying to feel more cheerful. He did not want Bron getting suspicious and blabbing of his secret sadness to his parents before he would be able to explain himself.

"Bron-san, how are you?" he asked good-naturedly.

"Never better," the man gleefully replied before taking a seat beside him on the wooden bench and swinging an arm around Zeref's small shoulders. "Ah, there's nothing better than Pergrande in a festive mood, don't you think?" hummed Bron.

Zeref shrugged. Being with Mavis, whether they were both happy or not, sounded better to him but he did not voice that out because it seemed selfish and Bron would tease him endlessly if he did admit something like that.

"Ohohoho, but of course, you seem to disagree with me, don't you?" teased Bron with a matching wink.

"What makes you say that?" frowned Zeref, his thoughts rapidly swirling around his head while he nervously clutched the money in his fist.

"The fact that you've been moping around on this bench since this morning. Now, what could possibly be bothering your six-year-old mind that it drove you to this unhappy state?" observed Bron astutely.

"I'm almost seven, you know," Zeref nervously replied, ignoring his question.

"I do know. As a matter of fact, your birthday is tomorrow, which is the same day as the princess's. I've celebrated your birthday with you and your folks ever since you all moved here," retorted the big man.

Zeref said nothing in return, which probably was a mistake for him, since it had given Bron the opportunity to repeat his unanswered question.

"Why do you seem so down, my lad?" asked Bron kindly, the teasing voice gone and replaced with concern.

Zeref exhaled. If there would be anyone with whom he could share his feelings other than Mavis, he decided that Bron would be the best choice. After all, Bron was older and he seemed wiser, plus he always knew when to stop teasing and act serious.

"Bron-san... It's just that I don't, er, h-h-have en-enough m-m-money," Zeref tapped his foot nervously as he opened his right fist to reveal the crumpled bills.

Bron carefully took the money from Zeref's hand and counted the amount. "Hm, this is seven hundred and fifty jewels. What would you need a bigger amount for?" he questioned the boy.

"A gift," was Zeref's quick reply.

Bron smiled widely and understood at once. "For your lovely friend, Princess Mavis?"

A blush crept on Zeref's face and he swallowed uncomfortably. He nodded slowly and hid his face behind his small hands.

Bron chuckled lightly and clapped a hand on Zeref's shoulder. "How much more do you need anyways?" he asked the seemingly troubled boy.

"I...don't know. I have no idea what to get her," he mumbled helplessly. It was true that while he was clearly bothered by his lack of budget, he also had no solid item in mind as to what he could give Mavis. He wanted to give her something meaningful; after all, it was their first birthday celebration together as friends.

Bron rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he pondered on various suggestions. "Well, you could give her perfume. Mind you, you can get fragrances at a cheaper price straight from the makers since we're acquainted with them, and I reckon the ladies would find it adorable that you would want to give the princess something nice," he said.

Zeref shook his head at once. "No! They're...talkative," he admitted. Florin and Castella, the noted perfume makers in Pergrande, were elderly women who loved to gossip as much as they loved making their fragrances. Zeref's parents had done a job for them years ago through their guild, and the two perfume makers had been willingly and gratefully indebted to them ever since. Although Zeref found the ladies very nice and amusing at times, he was also aware of their love of chatting, which usually didn't lead to good results. _Plus, Mavis already has a nice scent_, he thought to himself, trying to remember the smell of honey and lavender.

"Yes, you're right," Bron agreed with him and gave him a small grin. "How about a good book? Maybe she's fond of reading."

"She already has a library full of books," said Zeref in defeat.

"Satin slippers?"

"She prefers going barefoot."

"Chocolates?"

"She hates them."

"A pet goldfish?"

"She's not allowed to keep pets."

Bron gave a low whistle. "Hm, isn't that nice? You seem to know so much about her in such a short amount of time that you've been friends with each other. I'm impressed, boy."

"I still don't know what to get her though," Zeref told him. "I just want to get her something simple but meaningful."

"Ah, then perhaps you should give her jewellery," suggested Bron.

"I would need at least a thousand jewels to get her the simplest piece of jewellery available. I only have seven hundred and fifty. Where or how would I get two hundred and fifty jewels in a day?" said Zeref helplessly.

"Zeref," said Bron as he placed the money back in Zeref's hands, "I am completely sure that Princess Mavis will be absolutely pleased with whatever you end up giving her, no matter the cost. Don't be so worked up by this sort of problem or else she'll notice it, too, and you wouldn't want her to blame herself for it, right?"

"I wouldn't want that," agreed Zeref, frowning. "But this is only once a year, Bron-san! If I can't even give her something nice for at least one day in a year, then I won't be able to do anything better."

Bron sighed and grinned cheekily at Zeref before ruffling his hair proudly. "You sound like a man. Fine, if you really need more money then I'll help you do errands for everyone in the nearby towns. Each town in Pergrande will present a float for the parade tomorrow, and if you would be able to help with the little things, I'm sure the people would give you items in return, and you can trade those items for jewels."

Zeref nodded, appreciating the older man's help. "If that's the case, I'd need to start now. Mavis wants to go around later before dusk and see how everyone's doing. Maybe I'll take her to a jewellery store just to see what type she might like—not that I don't have a clue yet, but just to be sure," he spoke to himself more than to Bron who was looking at him with a cheerful glint in his eyes.

"I suggest you check out L. Histoire's Jewellery Boutique. He's a good man and gives fairly cheap prices for nice pieces of gemstones. I'm sure your parents completed a job for him, too—like they've done for almost everyone else in this town—but I'm not certain if he would give you a discount for that," said Bron after a short pause.

A small smile appeared on Zeref's face as he looked at the man beside him. "Thank you very much, Bron-san. I really am grateful that you listened to me," he muttered as his cheeks coloured.

"No problem, kiddo."

* * *

A sparrow soared above the trees near the outskirts of the town and flew towards the market. Mavis watched it while she sat down on the very same wooden bench which Zeref and Bron occupied earlier, and she was completely unaware of their conversation on her current seat. Beside her was a rather large, brown basket containing two bottles of milk and candied fruits.

She tore her eyes from the skies and glanced at Hoku who was haggling skilfully with an old woman for a lower price of white cheese. She giggled upon hearing snippets of their conversation.

"Hoku-san, I must insist that you aim for no lower price. I'll give you three hundred and twenty jewels for this block of the finest white cheese—"

"No, the prince will have my head! You must knock off the tariff _and_ give me a lower price for the cheese itself. I would understand if you made it yourself, but you didn't, and I believe you shouldn't have the right to ask me to keep the price of a product which isn't even of your own making—"

"Tut, tut, this is foolishness! I make a living in the same way. Now, I cannot remove the tariff since it would make the concept of it useless, but for your sake I'll give you the cheese for three hundred and ten jewels—"

"What on Earth Land would I be able to buy with the ten jewels you knocked off? Please, let me have it for two hundred and ninety jewels—"

"Are you honestly expecting me to give you this product for less than three hundred jewels? You've gone mad! Please, kind sir, have it for three hundred jewels instead—"

"I'll take it then."

Mavis watched as the old lady closed her mouth and handed over the carefully-wrapped block of white cheese to Hoku, who paid three hundred jewels from the castle's budget. She smiled, knowing full well that Hoku had never really intended to pay less than three hundred jewels for high quality white cheese but was clever enough not to pay more than that amount either. In all of her trips to the towns in the country, Hoku had always been there to watch over her. She did not want big guards, who would make her feel like a prisoner, and she trusted Hoku and knew that he was not as defenceless as he seemed.

She watched as Hoku walked back to her and placed the cheese inside the basket which he carried for her. Mavis relinquished the basket but not before taking a container of candied pineapple from it. She happily opened the container and started eating its contents.

"Mavis-sama, I shall be going further within the marketplace. I urge you to come with me for I cannot leave you here all alone. I am certain that Zeref-san will be able to find us pretty soon," requested Hoku.

Mavis smiled. "No need for that, Hoku. He's already here," she told him, pointing cheerfully towards the other end of the marketplace. Hoku swivelled around and saw Zeref jogging towards them in a hurry.

Mavis waved at him and Zeref slowed down, panting slightly. He had gone home to take another shower after he had finished all the errands and earned more jewels than he had planned to collect. An amount of one thousand one hundred and twenty five jewels was hidden carefully somewhere in his clothes.

"Sorry for being late," he apologised breathlessly as he reached Mavis and Hoku, bowing before the both of them.

"No, we were just early," replied Mavis with a smile. "Hoku needed to haggle again," she added.

"Ah, that's good to hear," exhaled Zeref, feeling relieved that he was not late. "What did you buy this time, Hoku-san?" he inquired.

"White cheese," answered Hoku proudly. Mavis closed her container of candied pineapple and gave it to Zeref as she stood up and dusted herself. Zeref thanked Mavis, took a tiny piece, and chewed it slowly before handing the container over to Hoku.

"Now, off to the market!" cheered Mavis, leading the way. Zeref swiftly followed after her as Hoku watched them from behind and looked at his shopping list.

They entered the marketplace and Zeref immediately tried to remember the directions which Bron had given him as to how he would get to L. Histoire's Jewellery Boutique. Of course, he wasn't planning to go there immediately, but he needed to make sure that their destination wouldn't be too out-of-the-way. He was almost completely tired from all of the work he had done earlier, and he wasn't even sure if his body could keep up with Mavis much longer. She was bursting with life as usual, and her gait was bouncy and swift. Zeref almost considered the thought that Mavis was simply being relentless with the way that she would eventually tire him out.

They had reached two stalls which sold fruits when Mavis stopped and turned abruptly to Zeref with a pout on her face. Hoku, apparently not bothered by this certain action of the princess, walked ahead of them and started judging the fruits so that he could make another purchase.

"What's wrong, Mavis?" asked Zeref gently, worried with the thought that he must have unknowingly upset Mavis.

"I'm still a bit sad that we won't do anything special tomorrow," responded Mavis.

Zeref felt relieved that it wasn't something he had done which upset her, but he also felt a bit apologetic for Mavis's disappointment. He understood that playing with magic was certainly risky, though if they had a safe and entertaining performance, it would have greatly pleased the people.

"Oh, Mavis. I'm sure tomorrow will still be really fun even without the magic show. We could just think of another adventure," said Zeref, putting an arm around Mavis's tiny shoulders. Mavis lit up at the word 'adventure', and she smiled widely at Zeref. Zeref smiled back and Mavis hugged him.

"I also don't have a gift for you yet," she cheekily added. Zeref grinned slyly.

"Why don't we look around then? I might see something I like, and you might just buy it for me," he joked, but Mavis took him seriously and squealed as she grabbed his arm around her shoulders, dragged him away from the fruit stalls, and ran towards the other shops.

Hoku glanced at the pair of children with a small smile on his face and a bunch of grapes in his hand. "Be safe, Mavis-sama and Zeref-san," he whispered to the wind as if he were commanding it to guard the two children.

* * *

"Mavis, wait up! I can't...r-run...or...b-br-breathe...argh!"

Zeref plopped down on the ground of a partly hidden sideway near a large shop to where he had scurried off as he had tried to run after Mavis. Panting heavily, he was very tempted to just lie down on the dusty path even though he had already taken a bath twice.

A high-pitched titter reached his ears. Zeref looked up to see Mavis clearly trying to prevent herself from releasing a wave of laughter as she had shoved her fist into her mouth.

"Look, I'm really tired today," he frowned at her. She ceased laughing at once and looked him squarely in the eye.

"I know," she said simply while offering her hand. Zeref took it gratefully and heaved himself from the ground. He glanced around the area, trying to find out where they had ended up at, and concluded that the boutique wasn't too far off from where they stood.

Side by side, they leisurely walked together down the short sideway in a comfortable silence.

Zeref was subtly leading her towards L. Histoire's Jewellery Boutique as he navigated their way through the paths. Mavis fleetingly looked at the kiosks and shops which they passed but her attention was mainly focused on the boy beside her. He was leading her somewhere, and for the first time in her life since they became friends, she decided to follow his plans for once.

Mavis strangely thought that remembering the way to their destination would be important for reasons she could not give. Perhaps she would want to go back there when the time would be right.

"Wanna go inside this place?" Zeref's voice echoed in her ears. Mavis looked at him curiously. He gestured to a shop in front of them and Mavis gazed at it in wonderment.

It was a relatively small boutique with clear glass windows. The setting sun's rays penetrated the glass so beautifully and accurately which resulted into a multitude of little, different-coloured lights sparkling and dancing in front of their eyes. Mavis blinked in amazement and realised that the spectacle was actually a mere display of various kinds of jewellery on sale. She looked up and read the sign above the door:

_L. Histoire's Jewellery Boutique_

_Makers of Fine Jewellery Since X276_

Zeref smiled when he caught a glimpse of Mavis's reaction. She seemed mesmerised by the simple effect of the sunbeams on the jewellery display. He, too, was pleased with the colourful entrance, and before he was able to congratulate himself for a job well done for arriving at the right time, Mavis took his arm and pulled him inside.

A short man with curly grey hair and a pointy grey beard greeted them enthusiastically. Zeref recognised him as one of the clients for whom his parents had done a job before. Mavis grinned at the man and he bowed deeply before her. He gave a customary nod to Zeref.

"Ah, Mavis-sama, welcome! And you, too, Zeref-san. I was about to close the place for the day when I saw you outside, ogling the displays. Well, let me be your guide in picking the right jewellery since you are already here," he told them.

Mavis squinted at him thoughtfully. "I do remember seeing you in the castle once. I think you delivered something to Papa..." she trailed off.

"Indeed. Peregrine-sama usually orders the finest pieces we have for his mother, and for you, too. As for Zeref-san, well, his parents have completed a tough job for me some time ago, which is why I also know him. But, alas, I reckon you still do not know my name. I am Lumen the Third, current owner of L. Histoire's Jewellery Boutique," he explained.

"Pleased to meet you, Lumen-san," said Zeref and Mavis at the same time. Lumen smiled at the both of them before turning around to present his items.

Mavis strode forward to look around, her eyes moving from item to item. She touched the glass of each display and squinted at each piece of jewellery, judging each one according to her tastes. Even though she did not look disappointed, she did not seem mightily impressed either, and it was probably due to the fact that she could not find what truly suited her.

Every piece seemed expensive and flamboyantly crafted. Mavis knew that if she would want to buy from this store, she would want it to be worth something more than just a pretty decoration. She was eager for a piece which was a statement of her personality or her roots.

Zeref, on the other hand, was completely overwhelmed by the sheer luxury of the goods. Most of the things displayed in the centre were worth ten times more than a thousand jewels. He swallowed painfully, with awareness that his strength and hard work for the day might end up having been in vain. He nervously glanced at the farther exhibits, thinking that the prices would be cheaper.

His hopes were answered. The glass shelves near the back had prices closer to five thousand jewels. He searched agitatedly for the ones which had the cheapest prices, and noticed that one of the displays consisted of different sets of old-looking jewellery with small labels attached to them.

"It seems like the Symbolism Exhibit has caught your eye, Zeref-san."

Zeref jumped at the voice of Lumen behind him. He tried not to look ruffled and nodded coolly at the old man. Mavis approached him and took a look at the exhibit as well.

"Why is this line called Symbolism?" inquired Mavis, looking interestedly at the display.

Lumen beamed at Mavis's question. "Because each set symbolises an important concept." He moved closer to the display, touched the glass, and runes appeared. Zeref and Mavis stared, astonished at the magic in front of them. The glass vanished and Lumen spoke again.

"For example, this set consists of a pair of heart-shaped ruby earrings and a simple, rose gold bracelet," he said, gesturing towards the set labelled _Ardour_. "It used to be a couple's favourite because of its simplicity, wherein the woman would wear the earrings and the man would wear the band; however, couples nowadays prefer the more bejewelled items."

"What does ardour mean?" asked Mavis.

"Passion," replied Lumen. Mavis wrinkled her nose, as if disgusted, and both Zeref and Lumen laughed at her action.

Mavis pointed to a different set: an emerald and white gold ring paired with a teardrop-shaped emerald pendant hanging on a white gold chain. The label read _Deliverance_.

"This one looks pretty," she softly commented. Zeref's ears perked up at her comment, and for a moment, he considered buying the set despite the fact that it cost three thousand jewels.

"Ah, yes. That one's quite a precious set. The emeralds were actually taken from a single stone and they were crafted delicately to make the most out of the source. The white gold was taken from a cave somewhere in the mountains, and let me tell you, the creatures in the mountains weren't the nicest of the lot," said Lumen. Mavis smiled but shook her head, and Zeref exhaled deeply. He certainly did not have enough money to buy that particular set.

It seemed as if Mavis enjoyed the Symbolism Exhibit much more than the displays at the centre as she smiled fondly at each set she saw. Zeref looked at the sets with her, and they both read the labels out loud, wondering what sort of story each set had.

"Why are they much cheaper, Lumen-san?" asked Mavis.

Lumen chuckled at the innocence of Mavis. "It's because they are now outdated. No one buys them anymore because the people do not seem to understand the importance of the symbolisms. I was purely hoping that the lower price would attract buyers once again," he answered her.

A silver glint caught Zeref's eyes and both he and Mavis turned to one of the last sets of the Symbolism Exhibit. Zeref stared at the items before him. A pair of silver hoop earrings tiny enough to snugly fit the earlobes matched a black necklace with a pale circular gem in the middle which he did not recognise. He curiously scratched his cheek in longing.

Mavis was feeling the same kind of attachment to the set as Zeref did. The silver earrings reminded her of the silver bangles which the fairy wore in the illustration she saw in the book, _Fairy Tales_. She read the label and gasped quietly.

"_Bonds_," voiced Lumen. Zeref quickly turned to the man behind him.

"My old friend and I made that together. He crafted the earrings at the break of dawn to get the best kind of sunlight stuck on the silver while I crafted the moonstone and bound it with the black chain when dusk had settled with a full moon. We didn't really know if the sunshine and the moonlight helped, but we decided that it was part of the symbolism. Though these pieces represent opposite sources of light, it is light itself which serves as a connection between them. It is like the sun reaching its arms out to the moon, and the moon responds by reflecting the light of the sun," explained Lumen.

Zeref stared speechlessly at the moonstone of the necklace, seeing a blurry reflection of his own face in the middle. The necklace alone cost one thousand one hundred and ten jewels, and if he bought that for himself, he would not have enough jewels to buy the silver hoop earrings which had obviously caught Mavis's attention. The words of Lumen about the sun and the moon played again and again in his head, like a mantra.

_Opposite sources of light_... Mavis said she'd give life, and he'd be the one to take it away. It was what made them partners—they had something which connected them to each other.

_Like the sun reaching its arms out to the moon_... Mavis extended her hand and gave him the apple when they first met. She offered her hand to him when she knew all along that he was tired. She welcomed him into her life with no pauses, no regrets, and no demands.

_The moon responds by reflecting the light of the sun_... This was his task to fulfil. This was his privilege: he could not create the kind of light which Mavis bore and gave, but he could do his best to reflect it by making her happy. If he could only be able to produce a single moonbeam from the darkness to give back to her, he would gladly do it over and over again.

"We'll take the earrings," he firmly told Lumen, fishing the innermost folds of his sash to gather all of the jewels he had earned. The earrings cost one thousand one hundred and twenty jewels, and Zeref planned to use the remaining five jewels he had to have them gift-wrapped.

"We'll take the necklace, too!" said a blissful Mavis. Hoku, whom Zeref had not noticed enter the shop, handed over a purse to Mavis. Zeref cast a quick, shocked look towards the butler who merely smiled at him.

"What? Wait, this was supposed to be my gift—" fumbled Zeref over both his words and the bills in his hands as he fought to explain what he wanted to offer. Mavis shook her head, took the jewels Zeref had been counting and combined it with hers, gave the money to Lumen, and smiled sweetly at her friend.

"It's our gift to each other. You keep the moonstone necklace, and I get the earrings."

Zeref bit back his tongue. She was being so generous and thoughtful as always. He looked at the label, sighed with amusement, and grinned at her.

"If that's the case, shouldn't we have them wrapped first?"

"No! I'll wear them right now!" whined Mavis. Hoku and Lumen laughed as Zeref took the silver earrings from the perch and handed them over to Mavis. She immediately wore them and gave Zeref the moonstone necklace. She ordered him to turn around as she tiptoed—since Zeref was slightly taller than her—to fasten the chain around his neck. Once they both wore their respective items, they smiled at each other.

"The night has come, Mavis-sama. We must go back to the castle now," said Hoku. Mavis audaciously hugged Lumen before rushing towards the door with a twinkle in her eyes as she looked back.

"Let's go, Elf-kun! We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow!"

"We sure do, Fairy-chan."

* * *

Zeref looked at his reflection in the mirror. The black frock he usually wore for his everyday outfit was replaced with a red one which also had gold trimmings. He put his white sash around his body and smiled when he saw the necklace again. He had not removed it ever since Mavis fastened it around his neck. When he took a bath earlier that day, he noticed that it happened to be waterproof. He concluded that Lumen had performed some sort of magic to protect his creation from whatever damage.

His parents entered his room, both wearing their most festive clothes and shoes, and smiled proudly at their son. Zeref turned to hug each of them as they greeted him a happy birthday.

His mother presented a small gift which was in a cube-shaped box. Zeref thanked them both and took it from her. His parents watched as he carefully removed the wrapping and opened the box.

Zeref's eyes twinkled in delight. "A miniature lachryma!" he voiced out with happiness.

"We'll teach you how to use it properly after the festival, but for now, be contented with knowing that this one is a communication lachryma. You will be able to contact anyone who has one, too, no matter the location or size of the lachryma," explained his father.

"We have one for each of us," added his mother.

"But remember this, Zeref. You shan't use it too often or else it will drain your magic reserves. Your mother and I have decided that you are indeed old and responsible enough to be trained to apply and use your magic in other forms aside from what you are used to," warned his father. Zeref nodded seriously and thanked them once again.

"Now, let us go outside to watch the parade. I don't think it has begun yet," said Zeref's mother hopefully. His parents went outside his room, and he placed the lachryma back in its box before tucking it into his clothes. He was definitely excited to show Mavis his new gift.

Together, he and his parents left their house and walked uptown. The streets looked full of life as different stalls had been put up by the townsfolk. Bubbles floated around them, and a huge lachryma was playing music.

People danced and flocked from stall to stall, and children played and ran around. Zeref looked at the scene before him, very pleased, and his parents went off to find a good spot for watching the oncoming parade. It had never really occurred to him that his birthday would be this festive, but he knew it was Mavis's insistence that had made it so.

Speaking of Mavis, Zeref saw her approach him from one of the stalls. He grinned, thinking that she looked beautiful in her red and gold dress, the same dress which he had seen in the painting inside the castle. She was also wearing the small, silver earrings they had bought yesterday with a matching silver tiara.

"Hey! We're matching colours!" teased Mavis. Zeref only chuckled, and together, they marched off to the numerous booths, excited to try everything being offered, whether it was a game of luck or a new kind of carnival food.

Time flew by and a trumpet resonated in the distance. Zeref blinked excitedly and was about to drag Mavis to the parade when she squeezed his hand.

The rest of the people had started to watch the floats but Mavis and Zeref remained behind. Mavis was avoiding his eyes and looked as if she was about to say something. Zeref waited patiently until she raised her ocean eyes towards his dark ones.

"Elf-kun... I thought about what you said yesterday," she began. Zeref knitted his eyebrows confusion. He didn't remember saying anything of much importance to her at that time.

"I wanted to do something special even though we can't perform our magic, and you said that we could just think of another adventure. Well, I have decided on something better. Let's go on a mission to the forests right now while everyone's busy watching the parade!" she told him enthusiastically.

Zeref was dumbfounded. "Why would you want us to go to the creepy forests when we already have this birthday celebration?"

She stared at him with longing in her eyes.

"I want to look for my mother."

* * *

_A/N: And there you have it! I'm sorry if it seems like a cliffhanger, but the next chapter would come much earlier (hopefully) by the end of December or the start of January. I hope you took note of the jewellery they picked (and the name of the store) because I only based them on what they wore in the manga/anime. Feedback would be highly encouraged and appreciated as always, even for the past chapters if you've noticed something wrong since I have no beta. Thanks for your support! _


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